The 10 Spot: WAR MOTHER, X-O MANOWAR, RED SONJA

Our Rating

THE VERY BEST OF THE INDIES THIS WEEK - ALL WITH A 10/10 RATING!

Welcome once again to THE 10 SPOT – TMStash’s round-up of the very best in Indie comics each week. This week brings us WAR MOTHER #1 and X-O MANOWAR #6 from Valiant, and RED SONJA V4. #8 from Dynamite! Let’s get started with…

WAR MOTHER #1 (Valiant) – Since appearing in the pages of the epic 4001 AD storyline, Ana (aka War Mother) has become a fan favorite, and for good reason. This first issue of her solo title is an excellent effort – not surprising when the script is placed in the more-than-capable hands of Fred Van Lente, with stunning artwork by Stepen Segovia (with colors by Elmer Santos and Andrew Dalhouse). This is both beautifully written and illustrated, picking up with the Grove after War Mother has done away with its horrible leader. Things don’t always end up hunky dory, and we see how that plays out here. The pacing is perfect, the story line is strong, and the lead character is compelling…do you really want more? Check out WAR MOTHER! 10/10

X-O MANOWAR #6 (Valiant) – Every time Aric thinks the battle is over, he finds more treachery. We see all the strength of character…and the brutality…of this Visigoth hero in Matt Kindt’s excellent script, paired with some amazing artwork yet again by Doug Braithwaite (with colors by Diego Rodriguez). This is an exceptional creative team, making the flagship title of the Valiant Universe better by the issue. 10/10

RED SONJA V.4 #8 (Dynamite) – Sonja has more than adjusted to modern day life…in fact, she seems to thrive on it! No more horses (unless you count that iron horse she took from that gang recently). And, she’s picking up on the use of a modern crossbow (and showing quite some skill with it as well). But, it’s still the same iconic character, just given a backdrop of modern life instead of Hyrkania. Speaking of, that’s where Max is right now, and the parallel storylines are handled exceptionally well in this script by Amy Chu. I love what she is doing with the She-Devil, and the artwork by Carlos Gomez (with colors by Mohan) is top notch. If you haven’t picked up RED SONJA lately, I highly recommend you do. 10/10

That’s it for this week’s 10 SPOT – but we aren’t done yet with our round-up of great indie books! Be sure to look for PRESSED TO THE 9’s and THE GREAT 8’s for more reviews of amazing indie comics!